Chapter 123: The Film Studio!

The next morning, at nine o’clock.
Feilong Valley Scenic Area, Huangsongyu Township, Pinggu County, Beijing.

During the drive, the landscape was filled with mountain cliffs and rocky beaches. Passing through Qianfo Cliff (Thousand Buddha Cliff), the view opened up to a desolate and dilapidated scene. Apart from the occasional tour group motorcade, there were virtually no other signs of life on the road.

Observing this, Jiang Lun felt a complex mix of emotions. He wondered if the filming location of "My Own Swordsman" in the parallel world looked like this as well. According to the records he had seen, there was supposed to be a film and television base there in that world, but in his own reality, it did not exist. Aside from a few unremarkable tourist attractions, there was no sign of human habitation.

"We’re almost at that place you mentioned. I had the advance team scout it several times; quite a few ancient buildings have been preserved, and we found a place that looks like an inn. But there isn't even a village around here. How did you come up with this spot?" Zhao Rong asked after they had been in the car for over three hours.

"Uh..." Jiang Lun bluffed, "I visited here years ago and saw those ancient buildings. It just happened to cross my mind!"

"That's quite a coincidence!" Zhao Rong smiled. "But don't be disappointed when we get there. The crew has been cleaning up for days, but it’s still a bit makeshift."

"How could I be!" Although Jiang Lun said this, he was still somewhat surprised when the destination finally appeared in his line of sight.

This place must have once been a village, now developed into a tourist spot. It was said that the original residents had moved out over a decade ago, and the area had been under the management of the local tourism bureau for development and maintenance. Because the village was situated between two main attractions, tour groups often passed by, but almost no one ever stopped to come inside.

However, that suited them fine; they certainly wouldn't be disturbed while filming.

"Who’s there? Stop! You can't come in!" Just as the car reached the entrance, an old man suddenly popped out from nowhere, blocking their way. "Do you have a pass? Let me see it!"

Zhao Rong hurried to get out of the car, pulled out a document, and stepped forward. "Sir, we’re from a film crew. We’re here to shoot a show. This is the authorization from the county government and the tourism bureau. Please take a look!"

"Oh, a film crew!" The old man looked Zhao Rong over, his expression softening. "Go ahead then!"

Part of the crew had arrived a few days earlier. Their presence was a boon for the scenic area, something the local officials never dreamed would happen—that a remote corner where no one visited for ages would suddenly host a film crew. Because of this, some county officials even held a meeting to discuss turning the village into a film and television base to boost local culture.

"These buildings are actually quite well-preserved!" As the car entered the scenic area, it felt like a ghost town—completely empty—but the structures themselves weren't too bad.

"That's just the surface," Zhao Rong said with a wry smile. "Once you go inside, you’ll find they’re filled with dust. It was two centimeters thick on the floor. We had to put in a massive effort to get that set ready!"

Jiang Lun nodded in agreement; he could easily imagine what it looked like. With almost zero tourists, most people visiting Feilong Valley came only for Qianfo Cliff and the Baidi Palace. Even if people came to this small village, they would at most take a photo and leave.

"Hey, that little building in front looks good. Is that our set?" Jiang Lun asked, looking through the window at a three-story ancient-style building that still retained some charm.

"No," Zhao Rong shook his head. "It's further ahead."

They drove a bit further, almost reaching the end of the road, before finally stopping.

"Where is it?"

Jiang Lun scanned the main road but saw no sign of the crew. Zhao Rong pointed toward a small alleyway across the way. "Go in there, and you’ll see it!"

"Hiss..." Jiang Lun frowned, vaguely guessing the set probably wasn't great, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Walking inside and navigating through the alley, they finally arrived at an area as wide as the main road, where they saw the location of "Tongfu Inn."

"It's this run-down?" Jiang Lun was stunned. Compared to the building they had just passed, this one was far inferior.

"The scenic area has its own rules," Zhao Rong explained. "Since we’re filming, we have to repaint the interior and exterior, but they don't allow that for the buildings on the main road. This is the only one we could use."

"How much is the rent for this building?" Jiang Lun felt it wasn't worth it; a dump like this would be better off replaced by a custom set built in the wilderness.

Zhao Rong held up a finger. "One hundred a day!"

"What?" Jiang Lun whipped his head around to look at him. "Only... one hundred a day?"

"Yes," Zhao Rong said. "But they have a requirement: we must explicitly credit the county government, the township government, and the local tourism bureau in the closing credits."

"That’s no problem!" Jiang Lun waved his hand. That was a small matter, and he no longer felt it was a bad deal. This money was well spent—very well spent!

However, what Zhao Rong said next made him reconsider.

"But the renovation, cleaning, and repairs for this set cost quite a bit. Including transportation, it was nearly forty thousand yuan!"

"That much?" Jiang Lun glared. "Why didn't you tell me about this beforehand?"

"There was no other way," Zhao Rong said with a bitter laugh. "If you had seen the state of the place back then, you would have insisted on doing the same thing!"

Jiang Lun thought about it and realized he was likely right, so he said nothing more.

He stepped up to the door and looked at the newly hung plaque under the eaves. The four large characters "Tongfu Inn" were enough to stir excitement. The original plaque had been broken, old, and split down the middle.

Inside, the walls had been whitewashed, the stairs reinforced, and several wooden tables were arranged in the room. The counter and wine rack in the back were newly built, then coated with a special finish to make them look like antiques.

The first floor was largely finished, and the second floor had also been tidied up. The original bedrooms had been quite modern, especially the windows, which had glass panes. Under Li Xing’s design, they had been dismantled and rearranged; the windows were now covered in paper, truly looking like ancient living quarters.

"Good! Everything looks great!" Jiang Lun opened a window and looked outside. "Oh? There’s a backyard?"

"Yes," Zhao Rong nodded. "There are several rooms in the back, temporarily used as living quarters for the crew. The modern furniture that was here has been moved there."

"Is there enough space?" Jiang Lun asked.

"Yes, the men are staying here, including both of us. I also rented a small courtyard nearby for the women."

"How much was that small courtyard?"

"It wasn't calculated separately!" Zhao Rong smiled shrewdly. "I knew you’d ask, so the one hundred a day I mentioned covers both places!"

"Hey! I didn't see that coming!" Jiang Lun laughed. "You're a master negotiator!"

"What negotiation?" Zhao Rong waved his hand. "The tourism bureau people said they'd give us the green light for everything. Whatever we need, just ask! The courtyards were sitting empty anyway. If we do a good job, they hope to build a film base to promote tourism and stimulate the economy."

Jiang Lun nodded. He wouldn't worry about the tourism bureau’s plans. As long as the show could be filmed well, the more resources and convenience, the better.

"Now that the cast is set and the filing with the radio and television bureau is approved, along with the filming permits, we need to finalize the schedule."

"Since the show is eighty episodes long, I think it will take at least three to four months of shooting."

"You decide the rest, but the scenes for the character Mo Xiaobei must be finished by the end of the month," Jiang Lun said. "My younger sister has to go back to school in September; there isn't enough time."

"Your sister?" Zhao Rong was stunned. "When did you get a sister?"

"Oh! I forgot to tell you!" Jiang Lun laughed. "I talked to her last night and asked her to come play Mo Xiaobei. She’ll be arriving in Beijing this afternoon!"

"This..." Zhao Rong thought for a moment. "I’ll do my best. If we can't finish, we’ll have her come back during the October holiday to shoot the remaining scenes!"

"That’s the only way," Jiang Lun nodded. "She’s entering her second year of high school this semester, and in two years she’ll have the college entrance exam. Her studies must come first."

"Fair enough. I’ll communicate with the screenwriting team and the other actors. After all, the child's education is important." Zhao Rong then asked, "By the way, does your sister know how to act?"

"I'll teach her when she gets here. For a child's role, as long as she plays it naturally, it'll be fine."

In truth, Ningning was very different from the original Mo Xiaobei—her appearance and build were completely different—but they shared one thing in common: they were both total firecrackers! She had a fiery temper and a wild personality. Being the only girl in the family, her parents had always spoiled her, so she developed a very distinct character. When Jiang Lun told her he wanted her to come to Beijing to film, she agreed without hesitation. The sense of novelty and curiosity in her voice made it seem like she thought filming was a fun game.

He didn't know what she would think when she arrived and saw the scene, but with him there, he was confident he could keep her in line.

The screenwriting team was currently upstairs, drafting individual scripts for each actor. For a sitcom like this, there was usually no need for storyboard scripts because, unlike movies, the focus was on storytelling through dialogue and characters. As long as those two were done well, the camera angle didn't matter much.

Zhao Rong communicated with the screenwriting team and reached a plan: they would appoint one screenwriter and one cinematographer to form a second unit, specifically to shoot scenes where the character Mo Xiaobei could appear alone. After numbering them by episode, they would edit them into the footage later. As for ensemble scenes, there was no choice but to film them with everyone present.

This situation was common in large crews. For instance, if an actor’s schedule didn't align, they would have to find time to film their scenes separately. For the show "Empress of a Generation," the entire production took thirteen months, yet the third male lead, despite being in the whole series, finished all his scenes in the first two months, only returning later to shoot a few group scenes.